The proliferation of the Internet has resulted in an increased demand for the creation of websites. In fact, some would argue that businesses, in particular, require a website in order to be relevant and competitive as a business's website is often a first point of contact for many potential customers. A website typically includes a collection of web pages in HTML format, with each page including content, such as graphics, images, text, icons, links, buttons, menus, and/or multi-media content, such as videos and audio. Creating a website typically requires generating a plurality of web pages using HTML and/or other coding languages and scripts, such as Java, PHP, ASP, and the like. Similarly, mobile apps also employ HTML or other coding languages for their creation. Adding user-content to the website once created, or modifying the website after its creation, also involves using HTML and/or other coding languages and scripts. This makes creating a website very difficult for the average individual without HTML or other software development and/or specialized technical knowledge and/or experience.
One existing solution is to hire a website developer with such software development experience. Unfortunately, doing so can be very costly and time-consuming. Another difficulty with such solution is that the website owner is required to contact the software developer for any modifications to the website after its creation, which can also become costly and time-consuming, creating a bottleneck in the website modification process. Accordingly, some website owners may be discouraged from updating and otherwise modifying their website to stay relevant, publish new content, and continue to attract new viewers.
Another existing solution is to purchase a website development tool. There are many commercially available website development tools that allow individuals to create and edit web pages without requiring the individuals to possess HTML knowledge. Unfortunately, existing website development tools are often very complicated and still require a significant amount of time and effort to learn how to use in order to create and modify a website. Although HTML knowledge may not be required in such solutions, there is still typically a fairly steep learning curve to be overcome in order to be able to create a website using such tools. Individuals without the time, technical experience, and/or the computer literacy to utilize existing website development tools may be required to either hire a website developer, or forego the website altogether.
Mobile technology is also rapidly developing, increasing the demand for mobile apps that can exploit the new and expanded functionality offered by mobile devices, such as smartphones and computer tablets. As a result, entire new software development communities have arisen to contribute to the expanding pool of mobile apps available for use on mobile devices. Major manufacturers of mobile hardware and software have released software development platforms to the general public and/or provided access to mobile app distribution services. To the general public's benefit, an extremely wide array of mobile apps are available for download, quick installation, and implementation on mobile devices, via mobile communication networks, such as, cellular networks and the Internet. Accordingly, mobile apps are very popular.
As with websites, creating mobile apps typically requires a special programming skill set that many individuals do not possess. Accordingly, similar to the creation of a website, existing solutions for individuals without such skill a set to create a mobile app include hiring a mobile app developer, or utilizing existing mobile app development platforms that require a significant amount of time and a high-level of computer literacy to utilize.
Moreover, there is currently no tool available for simultaneous creation of both a website and a mobile app. Specifically, there is currently no existing platform in which the same set of user inputs can be used, via a single user interface, to simultaneously create, much less update, both a website and a corresponding mobile app. Existing solutions include separately creating the website and the mobile app. This exponentially increases the amount of time and resources required for an individual to have both a website and a mobile app. The result of this is that many individuals and/or businesses forego the mobile app and instead provide only a website, rather than dealing with the separate development of both. Unfortunately, this reduces the amount of potential connections to end-users for such individuals and/or businesses. Moreover, there are also no known tools that permit users to simultaneously publish a website, yet make it undiscoverable to the general public unless certain permissions and/or procedures are followed.
Further, an RSS feed is a format for delivering regularly changing web content to subscribers. Many news-related sites, web blogs, and other online publishers provide RSS feeds to keep their subscribers up-to-date on the latest content. However, there is currently no system or method for automatically updating subscribers as a result of non-user-content related updates to the website, such as, for example, editing a color of the website, or changing the website's background layout.
Therefore, a need exists to overcome the problems with the prior art as discussed above.